Syrians up in arms over Assad speech

Sunday, January 06, 2013 - 01:16

Jan. 6 - Protests erupt as Syrians living near the Turkish border listen to the Assad speech. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

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Syrians gather in a town square near the Turkish border to listen to an address by President Bashar al-Assad.
Assad says he's open for talks -- but not with his enemies.
People in the town don't like what they hear.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN CITIZEN, HAZEM, SAYING:
"Bashar is a morally bankrupt person. His speeches are no more than a string of words. It seems like he only appears to annoy the Syrian people. He only represents himself, he pays for some people to sit around him and clap for him. We are sick of the clapping and we are sick of speeches."
After listening to the speech members of the Free Syrian Army vow to fight on.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIEUTENANT IN THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY, MOHAMMED AMMOURI, SAYING:
"What dialogue is he talking about? After all this bloodshed there can be no dialogue. It is either us or him. God willing we will come to his presidential palace, so he should be ready for us."
After the speech comes the protests.
Residents walk through their town calling for an end to the regime.
But in a war that has already cost 60,000 lives there is still no end in sight.